News story

Businesses win Business in You support package

Two businesses have won fantastic prizes including mentoring and £15,000 worth of advertising space in the Guardian newspaper

From:
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
Published
25 June 2012
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

25 Jun 2012

The competition was run by The Guardian and the Business in you campaign.

  • Mama Designs produce the ‘Mamascarf’ for breastfeeding mothers and won the growth business category;
  • Alago, manufacturers of heated sports gloves, won the start-up category.

Successful business owner Wilfred Emmanuel Jones will mentor the winners.

Both winners had been mentored prior to their entries and believe that this was a key factor behind their success to date. As part of the prize they will get the chance to receive mentoring from successful and established entrepreneurs, Wilfred Emmanuel Jones, Penny Power, Carl Hopkins and Mike Southon. This will provide them with further guidance and support and the opportunity to share their ideas.

The prize also includes:

  • One business advice service session with a firm of chartered accountants accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) and access to the ICAEW’s library and information resources.
  • A one-to-one business lunch with the finance director of leading hospitality company Sanguine (whose customers include Intercontinental and Marco Pierre White), courtesy of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
  • Four hours of filming, editing and studio access from Prysm.
  • Free one-year membership of the Institute of Recruiters (IOR) and all its services. Plus up to five free, one-to-one specialist mentoring support sessions from IOR specialist coaches and experts.
  • Five half-day sessions on accessing finance from Grant Thornton
  • One year’s general finance mentoring support through the Bank’s Better Business Finance programme run by Barclays; HSBC, Lloyds RBS and Santander through the BBA.
  • A one-day sustainability assessment with Lloyds TSB’s Head of Sustainable Development.
  • In addition, for Keira O’Mara, as a female winner of the growth category: one-year membership of the Mastermind programme for female entrepreneurs, courtesy of the Mastermind Group.
  • Mama Designs will also be offered a funded place on one of Santander’s Breakthrough Trade Missions - designed to provide fast-growth companies with the resources and knowledge they need to grow.
Published 25 June 2012